2 phones numbers on 1 phone line (4-wire)

I should probably know this, but....

I have one 4-wire phone line running from the main incoming phone connection box to a standard phone jack. I want to add a second phone jack next to the existing one for a second phone line, and I don't want to run a new wire.

So, here's what I am assuming:

1) Inside the existing phone jack, leave the red and green wires from phone line connected to the red and green connectors inside the phone jack.

2) Then take the black and yellow wires from the phone line and connect them to the red and green connectors inside the second phone jack for the second phone line.

I know what to do with the wires on the other end (at the incoming phone connection box).

But, is number 2 above correct?

If so, when matching the yellow and black wires to the red and green connectors inside the phone jack, is it better or correct to connect the yellow wire to the red terminal and the black wire to the green terminal?

Or should it be yellow to green and black to red?

Thanks.

Reply to
BETA-32
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The yellow corresponds to the red and the black to the green.

Most modern phones don't care about the polarity of the line but some old touch tone phones won't dial if they are wired "backwards".

HTH,

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

You can do what you are suggesting but you should consider this. It is ok to use both pairs of wires but you have to have special equipment to use the second line.

A 2 line phone will work but a modem or anything other single line device will always pick the first line. Also, some phone cords only come with 2 wires. You have to make sure you get a 4 conductor phone cord.

If you do use both pairs then you should tap off the two line jack and mount a single jack if you want to use the black/yellow for anything else.

Or you can buy a jack that has an opening for each line.

Reply to
Terry

He did write "second phone jack" y'know....

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Yes. These things plug into a 4-wire jack and provide 3 jacks. 1 is

2-line like the wall jack, 2 is line 1 (red/green) only, 3 is line 2 (yellow/black connected to center 2 contacts) only.

You may find something similar for 3 lines on all 6 wires.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

Terry is right. Just buy a splitter. It looks like one of the things that have a modular plug and two modular jacks, about an inch by an inch big, for getting two phones out of one jack. But a splitter will have a "1" on one jack, and a "2" on the other jack. The 1 side willl have the red and green and the 2 side will have the black and yellow. (The more common kind, the "2 in 1", won't have any numbers because both outputs are the same.)

You can also tell by looking into the jacks. The "2 in 1" will have 4 copper springs inside each of the jack holes.

The splitter will only have two spring wires in each, the center two. The leftmost and right most of the four slots will have no wires.

I don't know but the splitter takes care of it.

Reply to
mm

In the 1980s, I had a two line cordless telephone. Panasonic, I think. Much as you describe, black and yellow were "line 2". Worked very nicely, actually.

Can't remember which colors hooked to which ones. But you have only two choices of hookup. And many modern phones are not polarity sensetive.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Thanks Jeff. That's exactly what I needed to know. And I guess that's why I used to hear people talking about making sure the wires aren't backwards but I don't hear that anymore.

Beta-2K (formerly WN2FPE -- 48 years ago -- built my own Heathkit receiver and transmitter; put up a long-wire antenna along the roof ridge of my parent's house; had the receiver working; and never could get the transmitter to work so I never got to get on the air with anyone.)

Reply to
BETA-32

Thanks. I didn't know they existed. I might just try that as a shortcut. It's good to know I can do it either way.

Reply to
BETA-32

Thanks. I'll look for that and try it.

Reply to
BETA-32

I just looked at Lowe's and you might not find that anymore. Their have one that splits 6 wires to three jacks. That'll work too.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

The bad news is that many of the simpler two line phones are polarity sensitive. If you reverse either pair you can have cross talk and or idle both lines.

Reply to
Tom Horne, Electrician

Thank you for the information; I didn't know that. Fortunately, now that we know the problem, the solution is relatively simple.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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